« About the Quenya Lanugage - Part 1 « Course Index
Read as much or as little of this chapter as you like.
Read as much or as little of this chapter as you like.
“External” History
Tolkien was fascinated with
languages, and even as a boy enjoyed inventing his own languages.
He worked on what became “Quenya” and “Sindarin” for half a
century, constantly changing elements. There are many examples
where Tolkien's notes from one year contradict his notes from a
different year. His notes show many examples where he thought
of a name for a character or a place, and then considered many
possible “meanings” for that name. Each “meaning” he
considered then required changing the meanings of other related
words. For example, he was constantly revising what the
"gorn" in Aragorn and Celegorn's names meant.
Pronouns and prepositions were subject to a lot of changes.
Since
Tolkien kept making changes to his languages throughout his entire
life, how do we decide which version to use? Often people use
the latest dated version, unless something was published in Lord
of the Rings or Silmarillion, in which case the published
version usually sticks. Fans don't always agree about which
version to use.
Tolkien was personally very
interested in the way languages change over time. He spent a
great deal of effort on the relationship between Quenya and Sindarin,
and between Valinorian and Third Age Quenya. There is no
evidence that he was bothered by the gaps he left in Elvish
vocabulary. For example, he never specified a Quenya word for
“water as a substance”. (“Nen” refers to a
body of water, but it is unclear whether you can have a cup full of
nen.)
There are two important –
and frustrating – conclusions:
- Tolkien did not leave a consistent, definitive Quenya language.
- The Quenya language that Tolkien left is missing some useful words.
During
and after Tolkien's lifetime, his fans have been attempting to
understand and use his Elvish languages. I generally follow
Ardalambion's (http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/quenya.htm)
interpretations. However, you may find other people who take
different interpretations. In many cases, there is evidence
for each viewpoint, and no single “right” answer.
On
the other hand, there is no shortage of people who toss a few words
of Tolkien's “Elvish” into an otherwise made-up language.
RealElvish has compiled lists of
reliable
language sites.
« About the Quenya Lanugage - Part 1 « Course Index
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